Wall collapse forces emergency response at Paris finance office

PARIS, Ill. (WAND) — Firefighters worked for hours to empty out a finance office in Paris after a wall collapsed Thursday.

According to Paris Fire Chief Zack Janis, crews responded just before 9 a.m. to reports of a wall collapse at 126 N. Main Street. The building is occupied by World Finance, a financial service that offers loans and tax preparation services.

Firefighters found the northeast wall, which is about 40-50 feet long, had fallen outward. Nobody was inside the building when it happened.

Power and gas services were disconnected, and firefighters used a drone to assess the damage.

Janis said due to the extent of the collapse and the wind conditions, it was not possible to secure or cover the exposed building. Instead, the chief said the safest course of action was to remove critical items from the building.

Using a U-Haul arranged by the company, firefighters were able to empty the building using dollies after about an hour and a half.

Janis said structural evaluations of the property are underway, and the area should be avoided.

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